Eternity can suck
when it’s all work, work, work. Death harvests souls even when they stack up
faster than pancakes in an all-you-can-eat-buffet. No wonder she can’t shed the
Grim Reaper rep.

As the patron angel
of death and dying, Azrael works closely with Death but is dying for true
intimacy. She’s the only immortal who’s ever aroused such powerful emotions in
him. One taste of her leaves him needing her like humans need air and food, but
will a demon’s lies leave a bad taste?

No one escapes
Death – except King Sisyphus. Twice. With the help of Damien the demon,
Sisyphus tries again, and she’s determined to have justice. Some say Death’s a
bitch, but only when she has to be. But will the price of justice be a broken
heart?

Short
Excerpt Death is a Bitch

Death stepped from the shadowy curtain of night along a
deserted stretch of road toward the mangled hunk of cherry-red metal that used
to be a sweet Z240 sports car. Stardust glinted in the black hair that dipped
to her waist.

She kept a safe distance from the wreck. Inside, a thirtyish
man slumped behind the wheel, the air bag deflating away from his near-lifeless
body. Blood oozed from a nasty gash to his head. Should have worn his seat
belt. Too late for life lessons, though. Those weren’t her expertise anyway.
Just the opposite.

Leaves crackled in the underbrush beyond the nearby trees.
Death gripped the silver charm bracelet on her wrist, her senses on high alert.
Her finger poised near the hidden latch, ready to release a stream of
lightning.

A deer. It stilled, its wide eyes fixed on her.

Seeing nothing else, she continued with a modicum of
caution. Taking souls didn’t exactly make her popular, and after so many
millennia, she should’ve been used to it. The bad jokes. The Halloween
parodies. A scythe? Please. She’d never used cheap props. Only the finest
weaponry. No mortal ever suspected the intricately designed baubles adorning
her bracelet were anything more than ornamental.

Moonlight gleamed off the curves of the sports car, and she
ran a gilded nail along its hood. She wouldn’t mind taking one of these babies
for a spin. In its former condition, of course, before this guy took the curve
too fast and wrapped it around a tree. Humans always rushed everywhere,
sometimes straight into her arms.

The man’s moan signaled she had no need for weapons. This
one would give her no trouble. She fingered his blond hair, matted with blood.
What a shame. So young, and so handsome. He’d leave at least one lover
grieving, no doubt.

His eyes fluttered open. When he looked up, recognition
intensified the flicker of life in his eyes.

She needed no introduction. They always knew her,
unmistakable in the glimmering black filament gown, its folds revealing a
glimpse into infinity.

The stilettos usually earned a second glance, the
four-inch heels glistening like fool’s gold. The butterfly tattoo spanning her
upper arm likewise drew curious looks, which inevitably changed to horror when
the souls recognized the face imprinted within that colorful ink: their own.

Cate Masters loves romance with a dash of magic and
mayhem! Multipublished in contemporary to historical, sweet to erotic,
fantasy/dark fantasy to speculative, she sometimes mashes genres. Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not
want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”

When not spending time with her family, she can be
found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and
fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company.
Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com
and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Cate loves to hear from readers! Friend her on Facebook or
Goodreads, or email her at: cate.masters AT gmail.com

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

It’s common knowledge the Edgeworth men are unlucky in
love. Great, great, grandpa bought them
a one way ticket to heart break when he romanced the local witch’s daughter,
took her money and disappeared off into the sunset. Ashamed the Voiless moved away,
until now. As the eldest son, it’s up to him to persuade the Voiles women to
remove the curse. He realizes quickly he
wants to keep, Avalyn Voiles for himself.
Now he just needs to make her believe his affections are real and
overcome decades of bad blood...

Avalyn’s spent her whole life hearing her grandmother bad
mouth the Edgeworth family. So, the last thing she expects when she returns to
Baxter, was for the witty, charming, sexy Colton to be her perfect match. Should she take a chance on love and risk
history repeating itself?

Available on October 3, 2012

About the author:

Shyla Colt is a Sound and Lighting Engineer turned Stay-At-Home Mom with two main passions, music and the written word. Her stories are a blend of the paranormal laced with humor, passion, and a “je ne se qua” that she’d like to call all her own.

Married to her marine, she currently resides in sunny California where she allows her characters to tell her their stories while feeding her music addiction and raising her wild child. She credits John Hughes, Marvel comics, punk music and the first paranormal romance novel she picked up at thirteen for creating the unique muse that drives her.

Falling in love,
baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer—it’s all in a day’s work
for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training. When her mother goes
missing and her mysterious "cousin" shows up out of the blue, Audrey
knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get
her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is
destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret
past.

The perfume of scorched sugar conjured my Mom’s face again, her eyes bright, her lips curved into a proud smile. We’d baked together a lot over the years. She was the one who taught me to use a culinary torch back when I could barely see over the counter. As Iwatched, the memory of her happy face morphed, her mouth opening in a scream, her eyes going wide with horror. I shivered.“Your turn.” Bridget handed me the torch.I took it from her. The flame sprang to life when I pushed the button; I adjusted the intensity with the dial, turning it up just slightly. Bending over the nearest custard, I focused my attention, letting the room disappear around me. The top layer of superfinesugar quickly transformed as I touched the flame to it. White powder became dark, bubbling beads. Soon the whole surface started to darken, oozing a rich satiny brown.Mesmerized, I watched the sugar transform into something else, something molten.From under the surface of the custard, a slow movement began. At first I thought it was just bubbling slightly from the heat, but then I felt my stomach clench in fear and I knew something bizarre was happening. The yellowish custard roiled under the layer ofliquefied sugar. Gradually, beneath the steady kiss of my blue flame, a face began to take form. The darkened sugar gave way as the pale features took shape. At first I could only make out a faint outline, but then it sprang out at me, eyes and nose and mouth bulging up from the custard like a swimmer emerging from the depths of an opaque sea.“Ack!” I yanked the torch away so abruptly I almost burned Bridget, who hovered at my side.Bridget spoke softly, almost reverently. “What was that?”“I don’t know!” With panicky fingers I turned off the torch and set it down. “Did you see it?”“I saw something.”“Oh, god.” I darted a look at Mrs. Jackson, who thankfully had her hands full keeping a couple pimply-faced sophomore boys from using their kitchen torches as light-sabers. “It looked like—didn’t it—wasn’t there a—?”“A face?” Bridget said. “Yeah. What’s up with that?”I covered my mouth with one trembling hand, afraid to answer her. The scariest part was that I hadn’t just seen a face, I’d seen the face, the same blue-eyed man that had been haunting me all morning.Bridget stared fixedly at the custard. “You can still kind of see it—like the Jesus face on that tortilla.”“What Jesus face?”“You know, the miracle tortilla.”A nervous, slightly hysterical laugh escaped me. I covered my mouth and studied the custard. I had no idea what miracle she referred to, but she was right about one thing; you could still see a man’s face etched into the caramelized sugar. The singed caramel coating outlined high cheekbones and fine, angular features. I knew I’d never seen him before, yet something about that face felt hauntingly familiar.Bridget suddenly got all excited. “Maybe he’s a being from another dimension trying to contact you.”I snorted. Here it was! I’d been right to keep it from her earlier. “If you say so.”“You’re so cynical. How can magic ever find you if you won’t let it in?”“Put that on a bumper sticker.”

Witchy Earth Mamas Rule, But I'm Not There Yet

by Jody Gehrman

As a native of Northern California, I've known many new age
mystics and earth mama types, some of whom practiced witchcraft. I've dabbled
in spells and ceremonies some myself--just basic stuff--so it felt like the
right topic to explore in my writing. In Audrey's Guide to WitchcraftI mixed what I know
about real witches with a fictional world where their power could be even more startling. There's an amazing force running through nature,
and the idea of tapping that fascinates me.

As an aspiring witch, though, I feel terrible about my total
lack of skill with plants. It seems like a pretty essential part of any
respectable witch's skill set, right? I want to be an earthy, witchy woman—I
really do! I fantasize about dawning my floaty sundress, my moon amulet, and
waltzing among the flowers, letting dragonflies and finches alight on my
shoulder. The problem is, I’m a witch reject. Let’s face it: I kill things.

Seriously. Take one look at my famished houseplants and you’ll
understand I’m no goddess of plants. I get distracted. I forget they need
water. I’m too preoccupied spinning worlds inside my head to feed myself sometimes, let alone feed the
flora around me.

I long to have a garden like a proper witch--one that is carefully
tended, pleasing to all the senses. It’s just that I’m not there yet. The
garden of my dreams is lush and fertile, but so far I can only grow things on
the page, not in the earth. Someday, maybe my real yard will look like the one
in my imagination.

But don't hold your breath.

Overall:This book grabbed me from the first page. The high school experience is horrible, as most are and I could feel Audrey's pain as she tried to cope with the resident evil queen bee. When she slung a zot her way, I cheered. Yes. Out loud. I did. This is the reason you like a book. It resonates with something inside you. In this case the witchy aspect of the book was of course, right up my alley. The recipe for creme brulee was helpful too. Mine always comes out with eggy little lumps in it. Maybe now that I know I am supposed to wait before I add the two sets of ingredients together, there will be hope. *grin*The plot for the book was great and hummed along. Who was the stranger on the crisped sugar coating? (love that) and where did Audrey's Mom go? Why was she obsessing about it all day at school? All of these are an awesome way to hook a reader and I was hooked. Great read for a teen audience or above. I will be keeping this author on my watch list. Loved the voice and that is the key to my heart!4.5/5

Author Bio:

Jody Gehrman
is the author of seven novels and numerous plays. Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft
is her most recent Young Adult novel. Her other Young Adult novels include Babe
in Boyland, Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, and Triple Shot Bettys in Love,
(Penguin's Dial Books). Babe in Boyland has recently been optioned by the
Disney Channel and won the International Reading Association's Teen Choice
Award. Her adult novels are Notes from the Backseat, Tart, and Summer in
the Land of Skin (Red Dress Ink). Her plays have been produced in Ashland, New
York, San Francisco, Chicago and L.A. She and her partner David Wolf won the
New Generation Playwrights Award for their one-act, Jake Savage, Jungle P.I.
She is a professor of English at Mendocino College.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

BOOK DESCRIPTION: A secret society, hot guys, and vampires come together for a once in a lifetime adventure and a once in a lifetime opportunity proving that true love can find you in the strangest places, even far, far from home.Minutes ahead of inevitable assassination, Elora Laiken is forcibly transported to an alternate dimension similar, but not identical, to her own.Of course a girl could suffer worse problems than having gorgeous suitors. Perhaps more importantly, in the midst of an epidemic of vampire related abductions, can she stay alive long enough to choose between an honor debt, true love, or the breathlessness of single-minded passion?My Familiar Stranger is a full length, stand alone, Paranormal Romance novel that also sets up the foundation for the Black Swan series. It is loved by fans of paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and urban fantasy.Erotic quotient: A few steamy scenes. No menage. No BDSM.A secret society, hot guys, and vampires come together for a once in a lifetime adventure and a once in a lifetime opportunity proving that true love can find you in the strangest places, even far, far from home.Minutes ahead of inevitable assassination, Elora Laiken is forcibly transported to an alternate dimension similar, but not identical, to her own.Of course a girl could suffer worse problems than having gorgeous suitors. Perhaps more importantly, in the midst of an epidemic of vampire related abductions, can she stay alive long enough to choose between an honor debt, true love, or the breathlessness of single-minded passion?

For the past thirteen years, Victoria has illustrated and authored Seasons of the Witch calendars and planners.

Though works of fiction are a departure for her, she has had this series simmering on the back burner of her mind for years. In addition to authoring and illustrating Seasons of the Witch, she plays rock music and manages one of Houston's premier R&B/Variety/Pop bands.

This series will eventually include some of my actual experience in the paranormal with fictionalized anecdotes from my journals during the years when I was a practicing "metaphysician", but most of the material is fantasy - of course.

All future
astronomer Memphis Holland wanted was to quit smoking. The pressure to complete
her dissertation on Ophiuchus the lost astrological sign and receive her PhD in
Astrophysics has been high. She visits a hypnotherapist to rid her of her
cravings and instead is given the ability to see the future and to teleport. To
anyone else this would be a wonderful trade, but she doesn’t see it that way.
These strange new powers and the fact that there is a serial killer piercing
women in their Third Eye chakras and leaving their bodies all over New York
City has her highly stressed.

Yoga doesn’t help and neither does her new position at Sign of The Times, a New
Age newspaper run by her best friend Jill. Her mysterious coworker Lawrence,
the reporter covering the murders, puts her even more on edge. He is nothing
but kind yet there is just something about him; he has this uncanny ability to
know exactly what she’s thinking.

Her astrological predictions for the newspaper are well received. But the
eerily accurate personal horoscopes that are sent to her by an anonymous
astrogirl88 are not. As the secrets and predictions from astrogirl88 unfold
Memphis is led down a dangerous path to find out who she really is and the
unsettling truth that her destiny may have already been written for her.

Excerpt:

She went upstairs and got her things. She checked her watch.
It wasn’t even midnight. It was still early enough to take the subway instead
of a cab. She looked for Jill to wish her goodnight, but spotted her white
satin clad bottom seated on the knee of a guest.

The guy was looking at her with pure adoration. She had a
sudden flash; of them sitting that way, but they were much older. He was The
One. Memphis smiled to herself. She decided not to disturb them. But shot Jill
a quick text just in case she looked for her later.

She was half way down Jill’s block when she heard footsteps
behind her. She didn’t see anyone when she turned to look. She half jogged the
rest of the way to the station. She made into the car right before the doors
closed. She caught an express train and arrived at her stop in just a few
minutes. The cold air felt good against her face as she stepped on to the
sidewalk. The first few blocks of her route home were fine because they right
on 86th Street and heavily populated. She just hated having to walk down the
last quiet block. She couldn’t imagine living in the suburbs with no one
around.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps
behind. It was probably a dog walker. She turned to look, but no one was there.

She continued walking, increasing her pace. Again, she heard
footsteps.

She walked a little faster; the footsteps followed suit.

She started to jog; she could hear them getting closer.

She began running; so did the person behind her.

She was being chased!

She felt a surge of adrenaline. She just had to get into her
apartment. She would be safe. She pictured her blue sofa. She just had to get
home. Get home.

“Home,” she wheezed
out. “Home. Home. Home.”

Suddenly, she was on her sofa in her apartment.

“How the hell…” She saw that the door was wide open. She
jumped up and slammed it shut. After turning all the locks, she slid down in
front of it. She looked in the mirror, which was across the hallway from her.
She was shaken and confused. She didn’t know who to be more afraid of, the
person on the other side of the door or the person in the mirror.

The Myth of Wadjet
Eye Witch

In Rise of the Wadjet
Witch a number of myths and historical events are mentioned and
incorporated into the story. Many people have asked how I was able to tie
Egyptian mythology, astronomy, astrology, magic and even yoga together. Once
they’ve read the book they finally get it. For those of you still debating,
here is a simple overview.

The main character Memphis is a PhD candidate at Columbia
University’s Astronomy program. She has always felt a connection with the
stars, growing up an orphan in foster care she just never knew why. When she
finally learns about her true nature and where she comes from it all makes
sense.

Technically she isn’t Egyptian, though her family has lived
on a planetary wave that can only be accessed through a certain location in the
country. She also learns that Egyptian Mythology is based on actual events
rather than fantasy.

Astronomy & The
Wadjet Eye

The Wadjet Eye also known as the Eye of Horus is an ancient
Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health. The eye is personified
in the goddess Wadjet who was the ruler of the “all seeing eye”. Wadjet was
closely associated in the Egyptian Pantheon. The Pantheon consists of the major
deities that created the cosmos. The Wadjet Eye is the gift that they gave to
Memphis’ ancestors, connecting them to the stars and giving them ability to see
the truth and the future.

The Wadjet Rising:

An ancient myth describes a battle between Horus and Set in
which Horus´ blue right eye was torn out. Horus’ eye is magically restored and
named Wadjet. The Wadjet signifies blue and green, the colors of calm and
order. This is the reason why Memphis’ eyes begin to turn blue as she reaches
her Rising. The Wadjet Rising comes from the fact the name
Wadjet is derived from the Egyptian word "iaret" meaning "risen
one" and is depicted by the image of a cobra rising up in protection.

The Oath of the
Wadjet:

Horus’ left eye is the Eye of Ra and represents disorder.
This is the disorder that the Wadjet people were sworn to protect the world
from. As the world’s population grew they were not able to protect everyone and
they opted to spread their energy among the people in order for them to be able
to find peace and order within themselves. This energy is pooled in human
chakras and centered in the Third Eye.

This explains the importance of a murderer running around
New York City stabbing women in their Third Eye chakras and why Memphis feels
it’s her duty to stop him. The fast paced plot of Rise of the Wadjet is often paused to explain the back story, but I
hope this summary gives old readers clarity and piques the interest of new
readers.

Author Bio:

Juliet C. Obodo
writes fantasy fiction and inspirational city guides. She loves both sci-fi and
fantasy due to the fact that she has a short attention span and books in these
genres are able to hold her attention for more than a chapter. She love novels
that introduce a sci-fi or fantasy element in to the plot in a realistic or
almost mundane way. Recently released favorites are The Magicians and The Discovery
of Witches. They inspired her to finally put the stories in her mind on to
paper. She is based in New York City, but travels out-of-state once a month and
internationally every two months. She's constantly in search of the perfect cup
of coffee and a coffee shop like Central Perk on Friends. Follow her on twitter
@julietcobodo or visit her blog Traveling*Indie*Writer*Chick

Minutes ahead of inevitable assassination, Elora
Laiken is forcibly transported to an alternate dimension similar, but not
identical, to her own. She is stranded. Alone. Far from home. A stranger in a
"strangish" land.

Of course a girl could suffer worse problems than having gorgeous suitors.
Perhaps more importantly, in the midst of an epidemic of vampire related
abductions, can she stay alive long enough to choose between an honor debt,
true love, or the breathlessness of single-minded passion?

My Familiar Stranger is a full length, stand alone, Paranormal Romance novel
that also sets up the foundation for the Black Swan series. It is loved by fans
of paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and urban fantasy.

The Interview:

1. What are some of your
favorite witchy reads?

Well,
if you mean non-fiction, I would have to mention my own. That would fourteen
years of Seasons of the Witch, The Seasons of the Witch Primer, and The Witch's Dictionary. Then there is
the four year curriculum I wrote for Seasons in Avalon School of Witch Arts
which is a masters course for witches and magicians in what they would no doubt
call the Danann Method. Next to that would be The Master Grimoire published by my company, 7th House.

If
you mean witches for fun in fiction, that would be Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (Kresley Cole), The Lace Reader (Brunonia Barry) and, of
course, Practical Magic (Alice
Hoffman).

2. If you were a witch, what power would you want and what
one would you hate to have?

Since I am semi-famous for being
a witch, it's hard to answer that question as asked. Assuming we're talking about the folkloric
variety of witches, I would want glamour without the usual accompanying drain
on power or emotion.

3. Practical Magic vs. Bed knobs and Broomsticks?

My personal practice is more
conceptual than either one. I do sometimes rely on practical magick because
it's so organic and innate to the feminine character, but I normally rely more
on mind magick; gaining the cooperation of The Powers That Be to make slight
(usually) adjustments in reality.

4. What was the toughest scene you ever had to write?

Sex scenes are always a little
speed bump. We all know who has what and where it goes. Finding fresh ways to
present that challenges creativity and, if you're not careful, you will get a
review with the dreaded "the sex was repetitive" tag line.

5. Midnight Margaritas or Pumpkin Juice?

Please don't make me choose.
I'll gladly party at midnight, but my spouse will drink my margaritas and his,
too. As to pumpkin juice. Really? Ew.

6. What are you working on now?

The third book in the Black Swan
series entitled, The Summoner's Tale.
This is Baka's story, which readers have been begging for, along with a
secondary storyline running simultaneously that I'm keeping under wraps for
now. We plan to release it February of 2013.

7. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Absolutely. First, decide
whether you are a merchant or an artist.

If you're an artist who writes,
go watch the movie Dead Poets' Society
and pay close attention to the absurdity of attempting to quantify or graph
art. If anyone tries to talk to you in terms of the inner circle lingo, just
rip out the page and press forward with birthing the expression of your unique
perspective and voice.

If you're a merchant who sells
books, then attempt to identify the formula that sells and write what's already
been written with just enough changes so that you're not tapped for plagiarism.

Overall:

This book starts off with action that really moves, and continues that feeling throughout the story. There were a few bumps in the flow of the work, but the story line was great. When Elora is sent to another world to save her life, she arrives rather unceremoniously in the middle of a paranormal ops group bent on slaying vamps. Ram and Storm are two of the members of the Black Swan Society and become part of a love triangle that will keep you turning the pages.

If you enjoy paranormal romance, you will like this book. The story at first is like the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but really evolves into its own. Elora is deceptively fragile at the onset, even as she survives being hurled through dimensions and landing in a bloody heap in the middle of a vampire/human war. She really became the kind of kick butt heroine I enjoy reading about.

*vampires

*romance

*adventure

Great start to a series I can't wait to continue with-the best part is that book two is going to be out in October!!!

4.5/5

On a side note, I am completely interested in checking out Victoria's nonfiction titles. They sound positively witchy and wonderful! Let's take a vote on which one you want to hear about most!

Author Bio:

For the past thirteen years, Victoria has illustrated and authored Seasons
of the Witch calendars and planners.

Though works of fiction are a departure for her, she has had this series
simmering on the back burner of her mind for years. In addition to authoring
and illustrating Seasons of the Witch, she plays rock music and manages one of
Houston's premier R&B/Variety/Pop bands.

This series will include some of my actual experience in the paranormal
with fictionalized anecdotes from my journals during the years when I was a
practicing "metaphysician", but most of the material is fantasy.

GIVEAWAY QUESTION: “Since the ancient Greeks, and probably since we became sentient, men have been asking the question, ‘What do women want?’ I think I know what the answer is – at least for a lot of us - and it’s related to why Paranormal Romance is so popular with women and so satisfying to the core in a way no other genre can be. Before I began writing for this audience, I read about two hundred PNR books and realized that there is one element common to almost all and that it can only be expressed in a fantasy world. Can you guess what it is?” (NOTE: You don’t have to match my answer to win. I’m always interested to hear what other PNR fans think.)The prize is a free download of M.F.S. with Smashwords coupon. Anyone who gives a thoughtful answer wins.